Process of producing fertilizer materials.



' ed out in the claims.

W t QWS, OlF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO KAOLIN PRODUCTS CORPO- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF VIRGILNIA.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING FERTILIZER MATERIALS.

No Drawing.

To all whomit mag concern: I I I Be it known that I, THOMAS C. MEADOWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York,'in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Fertilizer Materials; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaihs to make and use the same. l I

This invention relates to a process of producing potassium phosphates from naturally occurring 7 hydrous silicates containing potassium and has for its object to obtain said potassium phosphates in a manner more expeditious and less costly than has been here tofore proposed- With this object in view the invention consists in the novel combinations of steps constitutin the process all as will be more fully hereinatter disclosed and particularly point- In carrying out this process I prepare a suitable charge of a finelyground hydrous naturally occurring potassium bearing silicate such for example as glauconite, sericite, mica, etc. I prefer, however, to employ the well known naturally occurring green sand containing various percentages of glauconite and sometimes as much as 90% of that mineral. If green sand is employed I also prefer to calcine the same at a temperature suficient to convert substantially all of its contained iron into the ferric condition although this is not essential in all cases. Whether this roasting process is or is not had, I prefer to grind the material to about 100 mesh fineness and to add to the finely divided material commercial acid phosphate, co principally of mono-calcium phosphate, but also containing say from 2% to 4% of di-calcium phosphate.

To illustrate the process I may take for example, a roasted mineral glauconite ground to approximately 100 mesh or finer. I add said acid phosphate to this mineral in the p proportions indicated by the following equation.

This equation, however, does not state the Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgfl Aug, 20, 1918, Application filed December 8 1916. Serial No. 135,840,

sents its general reaction, for owing to the small portion of di-calcium phosphate present, more or less (ii-potassium phosphate will the said commercial acid phosphate, sufiiclent water is added to form a thin sludge or mud, and the mixture is treated in an autoclave, whereupon it is raised to a reacting temperature at atmospheric pressure, or for the purpose ofaccelerating the reaction it may be raised to a pressure above the atmosphere of say from to 90 pounds.

After the digestion is completed the charge is'filtered whereupon the crude filtrate containing the soluble potassium phosphates and other constituents is separated from the insoluble silicates, and the said filtrate can then be utilized for any suitable purpose.

The chief advantage of calcining the green sand is to cause the potassium content of the glauconite to be citrate soluble when recovered and therefore available as a plant food, and thereby increasing thecom-x mercial efiiciency of the'process.

Instead of digesting this said green sand with acid phosphate I find excellent results are attained by adding lime and digesting the same with the calcium hydrate thus formed,-

or calcium carbonate CaCO may be added,

as well as various other compounds of cal-- cium adapted to form insoluble silicates.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the steps of the process without departing from the spirit of the invention,

- and therefore, it is not desired to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is 1. The process of producing potassium phosphates from hydrous potassium bearin rocks which consists in finely dividin said rocks; mixing with the finely divide rock material a solution of a; commercial acid calcium phosphate; and digesting the mixture until a crude. Potassium phosphate is formed, substantially as'described.

2'. The processofproducingpotassiumphosphates from hydrous potass um bearingrocks which consists in calcining and finely dividing said rocks; mixing water with the finely divided lOCli material is form a sludge; ecleling to said sludge COTHZHEIiCHl acid pliesphate coniainiiw mono-calcium phosphate and li-cakimn pliospliziie; and cligesl'ing the mixture until mono-potassium phosphate and (ii-potassium phosphate are formed, substantially as described.

8; The process of producing potassium phosphates from gleucoiiite which onsists in finely dividing said gleuccnite; mixing Wu" ter with the finely divided maaerial to form a sludge; adding to said sludge commercial acid phosphate containing mono calcium phospliateend a small proportion of (ll-calcium phosphate; and digesting the mixture at a pressure above iiiee nimosplieres until mono-pemssium pliospliziie and (li-potnssimn phosphate are formed. subsiimiiellg' lescribed.

i. The psocess of peorluciiig smile potassium pliespliaie green semi containing a subsieniiel percentage of glauconiie which consists in calcining said send until sulosizmiielly ell ilie iron content of said elaucoiiiie appears in the ferric condition; finely dividingllie calcined send materiel; mixing sufiicient to seiel gi'oimd; meterciel i0 form a sludge; to seicl sludge commercial acid phosphate; emlrligestiiig the mixture until e cniele potassium pliesplisie is fomzezl, siilosieiiiie y as elescriloecl. In testimony Wheres I affix signature, in psesence oilzwo witnesses.

THUMAS c0 

